Somethings you know
by xoxo.Amethyzt.xoxo
Summary: Paolo had dreams. Annie began having dreams because of Paolo. Such love as theirs needed no more time to flourish. They knew what they wanted. Somethings you know. My continuation of Julian Fellowes' "Titanic".
1. Chapter 1 Ti amo Troppo

**I just found this mini series on Hulu, and I'm in love with it :) And I also refuse to believe Paolo died. He jsut didn't wake up while they filmed that's all #indenial c: . But anyways here's the first chapter of the story. Hope you like :) **

**.xoxo**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Titanic, if I did Paolo would never had died in the first place.**

* * *

Annie Desmond refused to believe it. Paolo could not be dead.. He just couldn't. It wasn't fair. She continued to brush her fingers through his hair, keeping his still, cold frame against her own. The tears were flowing freely now, and her raven dark hair -having long since sprung out of order- now lay limp against her shoulders. Her fingers trembled as they grazed his hairline, and she could feel the other ladies' pity boring into her, but she could hardly care less. All she knew was that she needed to be there when Paolo woke up…Which he would do. He had to.

"Miss please-" the officer in the boat spoke to her, and she whipped her head around quickly, giving him a tearful scolding with her eyes.

"I loved him" she managed to whisper, and then with a quick movement, put her hand on her mouth to silence her already soft sobs.

The officer nodded at her, the kind of nod that is between one of resignation and understanding, and returned his attention to the dark horizon. _Please come quickly_, he thought. Annie looked in the direction opposite of his as she held her fiancé, and squinted her eyes. _Are those lights? No, they cannot be. They would have been able to aid us in within the hour after the Titanic struck the iceberg… My mind must be playing tricks on me._

She shook her head lightly, and cradled Paolo to her chest tighter that she had meant to, eliciting a barely, detectable groan from someone who wasn't her. She froze.

_Did I really hear that?_

The hope rose in her chest and threatened to bubble over as she frantically whipped around and faced the officer and Lord Manton's family.

"The whiskey! Is there any left?"

Lady Manton gave her a disapproving look, the survival of her husband having returned her to her usual sense of thinking.

"He's still alive! Please!" Miss Georgiana looked at her mother, whose lips were already pressed in a line, to the young stewardess whose wild look could pass for insanity. Then she looked at her eyes, a pair who in no doubt mirrored her own grief-stricken ones, as she knew in her heart Harry had not survived. _He couldn't swim…_

"Do have any propriety left in you? How dare you try to waste something that might save a life of someone else? How selfish are you?" Lady Manton's voice seemed to ring through the naked silence that had befallen the rest of the lifeboats as they watched the ordeal.

Annie closed her eyes tightly, and took a shuddering breath.

"Please…" She begged, holding Paolo's head in her lap.

Miss Georgiana had witnessed enough to make up her mind.

"Give it to her"

Her demand startled her mother who faced her with a look of pure astonishment.

"Georgiana-" she began.

"For goodness sake that could be Harry, mother…" Georgiana pressed her lips together, holding in her grief, trying to be strong because she knew that right then was not the moment to think about him. She snatched the bottle of whiskey from her mother's grasp, who voiced a loud gasp at the audacity in her action, and leant over to Annie.

"Here.. Try" Annie quickly grabbed it, the contents swishing around as she settled herself in a position in which she could make Paolo drink it.

She tipped the bottle to his purple-tinted lips, and forced the liquid down.

Nothing happened.

"See, she just wasted almost _half _of the liquor on a dead man. A dead Italian man at that. Your father needs it more than him" Lady Manton huffed.

"Let's…wait…and see…wife" Lord Manton's ragged voice pierced through, and Lady Manton fell quiet.

Annie pumped her fist into Paolo's chest, and for a second it seemed as if his eyes fluttered.

_C'mon… Paolo please… We haven't even seen New York, yet…_

She pumped her fist into him again, this time a little harder, and water seeped outside his lips.

The officer took notice of this and abruptly stood up.

"By Gods, he's still alive" he said incredulously, and moved from the till over to where Annie was kneeling by him.

"Stand aside ma'm" he swiftly began to pump Paolo's stomach, which caused more of the frigid ocean water to leave his body. He did this again, and again, until Paolo finally responded concretely.

He opened his eyes.

"Oh thank God!" Annie threw her arms around him, forgetting his fragile state.

"Annie" he rasped, and she quickly let go, positioning him instead so that his head lay on her lap once more. She tipped his head to make him drink more whiskey. He drank greedily, the brown liquid bringing warmth into parts of his body that he thought he would never again feel. His mind was able to piece things together now.

Annie handed the bottle of whiskey back to Georgiana, who gave her a warm smile which Annie, who was so grateful towards the young first class passenger, eagerly returned.

Paolo lazily watched Annie, and though his mind was still clouded, he was still sure of one thing.

_This is the woman I'm going to love for the rest of my life…_

He felt her lips on his forehead, and he closed his eyes tiredly as she raked her fingers through his hair. He opened them back up however, when she tapped his face and reminded him to stay awake.

"Not if… you…keep doing that" he whispered, a hint of laughter in voice.

Annie laughed softly, and leaned him up against the lifeboat's border, and settled in besides him to do the same.

She nuzzled her face against his neck, and whispered in his ear:

"Back on the ship, you asked me about my dreams… I didn't know then that you were it"

Paolo looked at her, her face inches from his, and it took all his weak strength not to close the distance.

"_Ti amo, mia principessa" (I love you, my princess)_

"_Ti amo troppo, Paolo. Tu non capisci quanto ti amo" (I love you too, Paolo. You don't understand how much I love you)_Annie whispered back.

"That's…more than… a little… Italian" Paolo smiled.

She smiled back, and settled back against him, checking periodically back up at him to make sure he was still awake.

He stayed awake all night.

* * *

At last, after nearly two hours of waiting for the Carpathia, the titanic survivors set their eyes on the lights of the ship. They rowed towards it, and slowly but effectively, all got lifted inside to find out who of their loved ones survived and who didn't.

"Do you think Mario survived? Paolo whispered to Annie as they were being lifted into the Carpathia.

"Shhh" Annie put her fingers to his lips, which he swiftly kissed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"All in due time" she murmured.

As soon as they were on deck, Paolo was sent into the infirmary, with Annie walking besides him slowly, lending him much needed support. He was a little hesitant about entering the infirmary, not sure of what they would tell him, but with Annie by his side, he went in.

The infirmary was full of men, but out of all the sea of faces, Paolo zoned in on just one.

"Mario!" he spoke as loud as possible, and Annie looked towards the direction of his gaze trying to pick out his brother in the throng of men. She needn't had bothered, since just a second later a towering Italian man bumped into her, sending her a little sideways.

"_Paolo_, _mio fratellino, stai bene, grazie a Dio!" _(My little brother, you're okay, thank God!)

Paolo pulled Annie back towards him with a smile, his weakness barely visible beneath the joyous glint in his eyes.

"_Si, Mario, stiamo molto bene, solo abbiamo un po' di freddo_" (Yes, we're very good, we just are a little cold) he said jokingly, his arm wrapped around Annie's shoulder for standing support. Mario noticed and with this called the nurse, and she cleared a bed for him to lay down.

"You're going to need rest" the nurse told him, and Annie sat down at the end of the cot while Mario stood.

"Go to sleep, Paolo" she said rubbing his hand lovingly.

Paolo nodded, and with that, drifted into a warm, comfortable sleep.

"_Benvenuta a nostra piccola famiglia, cognata" (Welcome to our little family, sister-in-law) Mario said, smiling down at her._

* * *

**Okay so what did you think? Please drop a review on your way out lol and as for the italian, I'm pretty sure its right (I'm actually taking an Italian class at school) but if you find a mistake please let me know :)**

**Until the next chapter,**

**.xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2 Assolutamente Bella

**Well at least I know some people are going to read this now, haha and I guess that's why this chapter's a bit longer :) **

**Well anyways, here's Ch 2 and I hope you enjoy!**

**.xoxo**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Titanic... If I did, I would air a sequel :)**

* * *

Paolo awoke to rays of sunshine on his face, making him squint against the glaring light and try to turn his body over to shield himself. All the while, Annie slept quietly next to him, her upper body draped over his cot as she sat in a wooden chair besides him. Her hair was styled in a simple hanging braid down her spine, and she had changed since the last time Paolo had seen her. She was wearing a simple light blue cotton long sleeved dress with a high collar, and despite everything else running about in his mind, he could not help thinking about how beautiful and peaceful she looked. He could not help slightly grazing his hand on her cheek, which to his dismay, abruptly woke her.

Annie jolted upright as she felt a hand on her cheek. Her first thought was that the men who were still alive were being highly improper and forward towards her once again, and she was about to open her mouth to yell at the bloke who decided to put a hand on her, when her eyes met Paolo's.

"Oh, its just you" She murmured without thinking.

"Just me? Of course it is, who else could it be?" Paolo's eyes twinkled with amusement, his boyish grin returning to his face.

Annie smiled back, putting a hand on his chin and kissing his forehead.

"No one, I'm just being silly" she lied, her eyes nonchalantly scanning the almost empty infirmary for the group of men on her mind.

Paolo thought something was off about her just then, but he let it go. If it was something really important, she would have said it already.

"How long did I sleep?" he asked instead.

She smiled at this, and smoothed her skirt, and as he awaited an answer, he propped himself up on one elbow, exposing a bare chest.

Annie took notice of this and quickly made him lay on his back once again, stretching the blankets to come up around his neck as they were when he first woke up. Her face reddened as she sat back down and lowered her voice to whisper.

"You can't raise yourself up like that, Paolo! You're indecent" she emphasized the last word, her eyes downcast as her face turned a brighter shade of scarlet.

Paolo furrowed his brow, not understanding what she meant, until he took a look underneath his blanket and understood.

When he looked back up at her, she had a hand to her face, stifling a small girlish giggle. Paolo smirked at her, and when she met his gaze, he wiggled his eyebrows. She gasped at his boldness, and swatted him lightly on his arm.

"Mr. Sandrini, that is quite improper of you!" Paolo shook his head and for her benefit, remained on his back, with the blankets up to his neck.

"_E dov'e esattamente sono miei vestiti, signorina Desmond_?" (And where exactly are my clothes, Miss Desmond?)

Annie, all hint of a blush gone from her face, got up and walked over to a pile of new clothing at the far end of the infirmary, and handed them to him.

"Yours were wet. You could have never made it through the night in the infirmary in wet clothes." she stated, all joking aside.

Paolo nodded, and with a tilt of his head, motioned around the room.

"Where are the rest of the men?"

"Dead, or already recovered. Your brother is outside, they only allowed one of us to stay with you. But um, he did undress you in case you were wondering" Annie cleared her throat.

"I wasn't" he looked up at her, and after a second, chuckled lightly.

"Cheeky, now go on and get dressed. You seem to have achieved a complete recovery, Mr. Sandrini" she shook her head at him with a mock serious look, but underneath it a smile lingered on her lips. With that, she closed the curtain around his bed, and walked over to the stand-in nurse (the first one being so overwhelmed by the flow of people that she had taken sick herself) to inform her of Paolo's health.

"Mrs. Holster?" She asked, standing a respectable distance from where she was tending a man who had apparently almost gone into a coma last night, her hands behind her back as she always had them in the Titanic while acknowledging someone of higher status.

"Miss Desmond, I take it your fiancé is doing rather well?" she spoke, still bent over the patient, spooning him a bit of broth, her pale blond hair spilling out of the cap she had tucked it into. Mrs. Holster looked quite well for her age, and her warm smile always seemed to seep into every one of her patients. They had been lucky to have found a nurse who was a passenger in the Carpathia after Mrs. Kirt had taken sick. Who knew how many more men would have died?

"Yes, ma'm. I just gave him a set clothes to change into."

"Good, good. After he has changed, have him walk over to me and I will give him a final check-up. Did you realize we'd be arriving in New York today?" she turned towards Annie and flashed her a smile.

"So soon?" Annie asked.

"Yes, quite. When the… ship sunk, you all were only a distance away from New York."Annie nodded at the nurse, her eyes downcast as she remembered the length of the casualty list that had been passed around early the day before. So many dead, and all the while they were but a day's distance away from the Statue of Liberty.

Mrs. Holster tucked the patient once again in between the sheets, and turned fully to her.

"It will be a shame to lose such a spirited girl like you in the infirmary. Have you considered nursing as a profession?" Annie shook her head, and spoke her truth to the middle aged woman.

"I've only been a second-class maid. Someone like me doesn't become someone as respected as you in society"

The nursed smiled at her.

"Well maybe not in English society, but who can say anything about American Society. Any hard worker could make it there, and you Miss Desmond, are a very hard worker" She passed by her and squeezed her arm. "But if you don't decide to pursue it, I'm sure you'll get your fair share of nursing with your future husband." she laughed as she took in Paolo, who was undergoing a little vertigo after being asleep for so long. His attire now was much simpler than his first class uniform, but all the same complimented him in the best ways possible. He wore a pair of black pants, a white cotton shirt, and his own black shoes which had been left by his bed. Paolo strode up to them, a lazy smirk on his lips.

"I'm alive though, aren't I?" he jested, his arms extending to accent his words.

"Barely made it, but God must have been on your side. Now stick out your tongue" Mrs. Holster said, holding a wooden stick in her hand.

He obliged, and Annie watched her as she checked his breathing, heart, and stability by making him walk in a straight line. In the end of all that, she nodded and told him he was "fit as a fiddle".

"Congratulations" she said to Annie, walking back to the patient in the corner.

Paolo took Annie's hand, and they walked out of the infirmary and through the halls until they made it to the upper deck. There they found a corner of the ship that was free, and sat down. Paolo brought his arm around her, the cold sea air already stirring a memory of being in frigid waters. It was nice to have someone as warm as Annie to wrap his arm around, to remind him that he wasn't , though he knew that in some part of his brain, he'd always be in those waters. She laid her head on his chest, the cold air also having the same effect on her. She'd almost lost him, and it seemed surreal to her that after being pronounced dead on the lifeboat, here he was… Alive and "fit as a fiddle" as Mrs. Holster put it… She was truly lucky.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her while observing the people on deck. Most were wrapped in shawls and drinking what looked like tea, but some were still crying -women mostly- while children clustered together on a game of hopscotch. That brought a smile to his face - knowing that through the whole ordeal of the sinking, most children still were that… Children.

"Nothing" she murmured, spotting Paolo's brother walking towards them, two steaming cups of tea on his hands.

Paolo smiled at his brother and reached up for them.

"_Grazie. Quando arriviamo a New York?" _(Thanks. When do we arrive in New York?) he asked him, handing a cup to Annie, who held it in her hands to warm them.

"_Apparentemente intorno a prima ora di pomeriggio_" (Supposedly around the early afternoon) Mario responded, looking off into the fog that enveloped the ship.

"So soon? How long was I asleep?"

Annie remembered him asking that earlier and laughed a bit.

"About a whole twenty-four hours" she responded.

Paolo looked blankly at them.

"Twenty-four hours? _Ventiquattro ore_?"

Mario laughed as he sat down in the ground in front of them.

"Felt like much less, little brother? Should've been awake then, we spent a big part of those twenty four hours stopped at sea as the Carpathia got everyone settled. Yesterday went by in what felt like a couple of hours, we were so busy. Isn't that right, Miss Desmond?"

"Sounds about right to me, but your brother was out here with the men who weren't in the infirmary. I was there with you and time seemed to dissolve right before my eyes" she smiled lightly, and tried to ignore the run in with those men that had occurred while Paolo was asleep. It was of no importance.

"_Davvero?_" (really?) Paolo asked as he looked from her to his brother.

"Yes, really" Annie enjoyed seeing Paolo so dumbfounded and could not stifle the laughter that was bubbling up inside her.

Paolo just shook his head and drank his tea.

"I'll see you two soon, I'm going to see if they need anymore help passing out tea and soup" Mario announced, getting up off the ground and walking across the deck and through a door.

Annie turned to Paolo as she finished the rest of her tea, and when Paolo finished his, she took his cup and walked over to a small table with a woman who flashed her a smile as she handed the used china cups to her. When Annie came back to Paolo, he was standing and holding an arm out to her.

"Have time for a stroll on deck, Miss Desmond?"

Annie remembered the first time he had asked her to go on a walk, and how she had responded. _I've got no time for anything…_

"Sure Mr. Sandrini. I have all the time in the world"

* * *

Hours later, as they lounged about in the upper deck, near the front nose of the ship, the fog cleared a bit and something appeared out of the mist. The Statue of Liberty.

Annie took Paolo's hand and pointed at it, her excitement plainly visible to all who looked. Sure she had seen the statue many, many times before, but it had never meant to her what it meant now.

Freedom, a new life… A new marriage.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" she asked Paolo, her eyes glinting with unshed tears.

"She is" he agreed, his eyes on Annie instead of the Statue. " _Assolutamente bella" _(absolutely beautiful).

Annie felt his gaze on her, and turned her face to meet his. The look in his eye reminded her of the way he looked at her when he asked her to marry him, when he pulled her hands to his chest.

_Take a chance on me._

Without a second thought, he brought her closer to him, slowly, enjoying the feel of her body as it contoured with his, relishing in the knowledge that he was holding her.

"Kiss me" Annie murmured. _Kiss me in New York._

Paolo needed not another word. With that, he closed the distance between their faces, her lips molding to his instantly, craving more and at the same time holding back. They found a rhythm, and Annie's hands wandered to hold his face in place, fingers grazing across his cheeks. Paolo wrapped his arms around her lower back, the distance between them almost nonexistent. All that was going through his brain was that he was kissing her, finally after all they had gone through. Her teeth grazed his bottom lip, and he inwardly groaned. _The wait was most definitely worth it._

She did eventually pull away, and Paolo held her face just mere inches from his, her eyes still wandering from his lips to his own eyes.

"Yes" She managed to whisper.

"What?" Paolo, confused by the word, asked her.

"You asked me to marry you. I never said yes" she smiled.

"But you never said no" he smiled back.

"Now I say yes." Annie brought her head to his chest.

"You know there's no going back now right?"

"I don't want to" she looked up at him, and once again brought their lips together.

* * *

**Okay, so the end was a bit fluffy, but we all need a daily dose of fluff in life xD I know Paolo was a bit OOC, but I was just trying to do a bit of character exploration and he seems to me to have a very sensual side that wasn't really explored in the movie but shown in little bits. (ie when he asked Annie to marry him and when he stood up for her on deck when she needed to get into second class)**

**But anyways I do hope you liked it and please leave a review for me to know what you thought :)**

**.xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3 Mantene la calma

**Here's the latest chapter! Hope you like it :)**

**.xoxo**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Titanic**

* * *

The R.M.S Carpathia docked alongside the New York harbor, and hundreds of family members, friends, and curious onlookers gathered outside to see who had survived the terrible sinking of the "unsinkable" Titanic. Mothers, sisters, brother, fathers, suitors and beaus- they all waited at the docks. They hadn't received as of yet a full casualty list, nor news that were in fact one-hundred percent true. All they could do was wait and hope that their husband, sister, brother, wife, daughter, son, and betrothed were going to walk down from the Carpathia-safe and sound.

Onboard, and waiting to disembark were Annie, Paolo and Mario. They stood in the middle of a long throng of people also waiting to leave the ship. Paolo held Annie close to his chest, and Mario stood closely to both of them, a hand on Paolo's shoulder. They had to stay together, however impossible it seemed with the chaos that surrounded them.

"Amazing that after all we've gone through people still retain the same attitude!" Annie exclaimed after being pushed into a woman bearing a baby.

Paolo held her tighter as a man was pushed into her, eliciting a high yelp out of her as he grasped her waist by accident.

"Hey, watch where you're going, men!" Paolo pushed the guy off Annie, and tried to get them closer to the front.

"Mantene la calma, ok Paolo?" (Stay calm, ok Paolo?) Mario squeezed his shoulder, trying to send the message that Paolo was not going to get anywhere with anger.

"La stava toccando impropriamente, Mario!" (He was touching her inappropriately, Mario!) Paolo explained to his brother, his brow furrowed as Annie clung to him.

"Non importa-" (it doesn't matter-)

"Che- (what-)

"Stop!" Annie exclaimed, "let's just stay together now and you both can brawl later."

Paolo and Mario made eye-contact, and wordlessly decided to continue the argument later.

The officer at the front of the crowd tried to contain them.

"We're going to get some order here! First class to the front, followed by second class, followed by third and finally followed by crew! Now get on with it and organize yourselves! Nobody is getting off this ship otherwise!" Mario, Paolo, and Annie started towards the back, knowing that it would be best to be the last ones off without being trampled, than to be first and be walked over.

In the back, surrounded by a few more crew members, they saw that order was the last thing on the survivor's minds.

"I'm a first class servant, must I disembark with crew?"

"My husband would not stand for this treatment!"

"We're all people! Must we be defined by class?"Paolo and Annie found a bench at the far end of the room, and together with Mario, sat down to wait.

"Do you think it will take long?" she asked him, her eyes scanning the room.

"There's no telling…" Paolo turned to his brother "Why are people so eager to leave the ship, its not as if its sinking?" he tried to muster a small smile.

"White Star line has secured hotels for its survivors for a couple of days. I guess people worry there won't be enough rooms. We all did lose everything" he said bitterly.

"We did not lose everything" Annie interrupted.

Both men looked at her, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"We still have each other" she said meekly, her head resting on Paolo's shoulder. "That's more than what others have."

_I don't believe in envy_. She had said that once upon a time…

"You're right" Mario stated, smiling warmly down at her.

Paolo kissed her cheek, and clasped his hand with hers.

"Ti amo" (I love you) he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too" she whispered back.

* * *

After all the Titanic 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class passengers had been let off the Carpathia, one of the officers of the ship prevented crew once again from leaving the ship.

"All those who favor to go back to England may remain on the ship. The Carpathia will return you to your homeland. All those who forfeit their jobs are allowed to exit, however… they are not qualified for a free stay in one of the hotels we have secured in the area. We are reserving the available rooms for passengers."The outburst in the room was unbelievable.

"No rooms for us? We barely survived the wreck just the same as the lot of them!"

"I warn you, the White Star Line will be getting a piece of my mind!"

"Have you no compassion for people of all walks of life? We are all humans at heart!"

"We've lost everything too. What makes them more special?"

Paolo gaze was aimed at the floor, his ears not comprehending the fiasco that had surrounded them. It was unheard of that the famous White Star Line would do such a thing to its own crew. It seemed to him that they were trying to force people into keeping their occupations within the company. He shook his head in disbelief, and with one look at Mario, who was also shaking his head, they came up with a silent agreement.

"When do we get our severance pay?" Annie asked, her arms crossed across her chest.

"We'll gladly give you your pay as you make your way out of the ship." the officer announced, gaining a few audible exhales of relief. At least they would have some money to get by, even if it was just barely.

Paolo grabbed Annie's hand, and guiding her by the waist, they started towards the officer. Mario followed behind them, looming over them like the protective older brother he was.

"May I help you?" the officer asked them.

"We're getting off the ship. Where do we receive our pay?" Mario asked, eyeing down the young officer.

"If you are trying to intimidate me, sir, I'd highly recommend you to try another way"

Paolo nodded, his face a serious mask as he responded for his brother in a cool tone.

"You owe us three severance pay checks."

* * *

When all three of them were finally able to disembark the R.M.S Carpathia, the sun was already lying low in the horizon. The reporters and families had already gone back home for the most part, and only a handful remained, but they obviously weren't interested in a second-class maid and two Italians, since they were able to pass without commotion. With the rapidly approaching night, they needed to find somewhere to spend it. Paolo was not letting Annie sleep in the streets, there was not a doubt in his mind about that. Letting her spend the night in New York streets was like indicating to her that everything she gave up for him - her long-term job, her own life in England, knowing she would have a roof under her head - would be in vain. It would have been like throwing everything she used to have down a bloody hole and burying it. He asked her to marry him for two reasons- because he loved her, and because he wanted to give her a better life than the one she led at sea… Spending the night outside in the cold went against everything he wanted to give her.

They walked the streets of New York looking for an inn that they could afford for maybe a night or two, and that looked respectable enough to bring Annie inside. They were each handed twenty-five dollars in cash, a meager amount that would not keep them fed and housed for long, even if they added all of their money together (which was the first thing they did) it still only made seventy-five dollars - a grand amount for one person, but when you're trying to feed three, it would hardly last them a week. They walked past many streets, and the weather was getting brisker and the night getting closer. They had reached a street corner when Mario grabbed their attention.

"Aspetta!" (Wait!) " What do you think of this one?"

Paolo turned his head to look at a very nice and cozy-looking inn. The gray brick outside was pretty well kept, and the azaleas on the front of the building gave it a home-like aspect. Yellow light emanated from its windows and it looked very warm inside. At the moment that is all that seemed to matter.

"I think it looks rather nice" Annie interjected, a pleasant smile spreading across her face, "Rosewood inn…Shall we enter?"Paolo wrapped an arm around her small frame, and rubbed some heat into her arms lovingly.

"Suona perfetto" (sounds perfect)

They started towards the door, but as they neared it, a group of men exited the inn, and Annie jolted backwards.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, as Annie tried to hide from the men.

"They're from the Titanic" she whispered.

Mario had thought them familiar for a second, and when Annie said that, it dawned on him on how he knew them. They were crewmen from the boiler rooms.

"Marcus, John, Tiber! It's me, Mario" he shouted over to them.

The group of men walked over, smiles on their faces. The first one, Marcus, was a tall Irishman, with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that contradicted his built frame. The man next to him, John, was his brother, and if it wasn't for the fiery red hair that sprouted from his head, one could mistake him for his twin. The last man, Tiber, was the quietest of them all. He was not the tallest, but his dark hair and eyes paired up with the white of his skin and heavy muscular built gave him an unnerving appearance. In all honesty, he kind of gave Mario a weird feeling, but they were crewmates, and he was just glad they had been able to save their lives.

"Mario, you're alive. What a pleasant surprise" Marcus grinned, showing the gold plating in one of his front teeth. "Yes, quite" Tiber's eye wandered over to Annie, eyeing her up and down.

Paolo was observant of this, and tightened his grip on Annie.

"I don't believe you've met my little brother, Paolo. This is his fiancé, Annie Desmond." Mario introduced them.

"Miss Desmond, it is nice seeing you again" John chuckled.

Annie tried to muster up a smile, but it turned out to look more like a grimace. Paolo gestured to his brother subtly, and Mario, noticing the tense air between the six of them, said their farewells.

"Hope to see you again, lad…" Marcus patted him on the back.

"Very soon, I'm sure" Tiber smirked, his eyes never leaving Annie.

Paolo pushed Annie to pass in front of him protectively, his stern smolder meeting Tiber's dark eyes. He could not read what was behind them, and it brought him no peace.

"Let us get our rooms" Mario whispered, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen them.

"Yes, I'm sure that would be best" Annie murmured, going inside the inn.

Rosewood inn was a very simple building. The inside had simple red carpeting and beige walls, and the front desk was merely a counter with a couple set of keys behind it. A young woman stood behind it, mousy brown hair tucked into a low chignon, and her freckled features sharp. "May I assist you?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, are there two rooms available?" Annie asked, and after a quick look at Paolo added, "Preferably ones near each other?"

The girl turned around and put her hands on her hips.

"Let's see… We have rooms 10 and 11 available."

"How much for the night?" she asked.

"Ten dollars for both rooms"

"Sounds perfect" Annie said, turning to give Paolo a reassuring smile, but his eyes held a faraway look, which worried her thoroughly.

"Great, my name is Miss Faraway, please follow me" she turned on her heel and grabbed two sets of keys, and walking at a quick pace in front of them, speedily led them through a corridor and up a flight of stairs into hallway with doors on either side of it. She came to the middle of the hallway and stopped.

"Your rooms are right across from each other, hope you find them accommodating. We offer a breakfast in the morning, nothing too special-just eggs and toast, which would bring the cost of your rooms to twelve dollars if you wish to participate" she handed Annie the keys.

"Great, Thank you" Mario said, nodding curtly at her.

"If you need anything, just ring the bell on the front desk" Ms. Faraway remarked before leaving as hurried as she had led them to their rooms.

"Mi incontro con ti dentro di la camara in un secondo" (I'll meet you in the room in a second) Paolo mumbled hurriedly to Mario, who had grabbed key number 10 from Annie and was already opening the room.

"Sbrigati" (Hurry) he said, eyeing him purposely.

Annie held her room door open for Paolo, who walked right in and shut the door behind him.

There were a few beats of silence between them in which neither of them knew what to say.

"What happened while I was asleep on the Carpathia?" Paolo asked, his voice barely a whisper.

The room was still dark, Annie had not bothered to switch the light on. She could make out his face by the blue light of the moon, that had just replaced the orange glow of the setting sun moments earlier. His jaw was set and his eyes bore through hers. She did not know what to say.

"Nothing" she managed to whisper.

Paolo looked up, his jaw flexing in his distress.

"Please don't lie to me"

Annie looked down, her eyes closing momentarily as she gathered her thoughts.

"They were just bothering me a bit.. That's all. They just grabbed me by my waist and tossed me around for a while, but they didn't do anything else"

Annie's thoughts wandered to the day before on the Carpathia. She had been tending to Paolo, making him drink water and keeping an eye on him. They had just been horsing around- at least Marcus and John. They really were just good-natured men acting like boys. The set of brothers just grabbed her hand and twirled her around for a bit, and though a bit forward, it wasn't anything to be worried about. Tiber, though, was a different story. He hadn't touched her then, just watched. It was only later, when the infirmary's stock of men had dwindled, that he made a move to touch her. He had pulled her towards him by the small of her back, a feeling that left her with chills on her spine. But he hadn't done anything further than that…He still scared her though.

Paolo shook his head, his eyebrows scrounged as he took a step forward and brought her into his arms.

"Did they…hurt you? Because if they did, Dio mio (my God), I would make them sorry they ever did.." his words were slow, passionate.

"They didn't. Marcus and John are just fools…" Annie sunk her head into his chest.

"Its Tiber that worries me… Are you going to be okay tonight? Here by yourself?"

Paolo didn't like the thought of her spending the night alone in the same in those men were staying. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

"I'll be fine" Annie smiled against his chest "Now get on to your room before your brother suspects we are being improper towards one another"

Paolo sighed, and took her face in his hands and kissed her. This kiss was different from the one on the Carpathia. It was slower, more gentle… Sweet and simple…Annie ran her hands across his chest, lips melting into his and letting him gain control, letting him set the rhythm. Paolo pulled away slowly, clearing his throat.

"I better go" he said breathlessly.

Annie nodded, and Paolo gave her one last quick kiss.

"Ti amo, mi principessa" (I love you, my princess)

"I love you too" she mumbled, her hands leaving his chest, trailing down his arms.

He stayed in her embrace for some moments, until he closed his eyes in reluctance and pulling away. He took her chin in his hands and kissed her nose.

"I'm going to marry you as soon as possible, Annie…"

"Good" she smiled softly, and locked the door after he stepped wanted to marry him as soon as possible too. With that thought, she slipped out of her dress and slipped inside the bedcovers in her chemise. She tried to will herself to sleep, but she couldn't. She was nervous, but she didn't know why.

* * *

**Okay, so whew that was quite a chapter to write, let me tell you. I could have taken this in a million directions xD**

**So yeah, let me know what you thought of it :)  
Until next time,**

**.xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4 Non e possibile

**Okay so so so sorry for the lack of updates during these couple of days, this chapter (for some reason I still don't understand) was really hard for me to write... Probably because its sets up the mood for the rest of the story...**

**But oh well, its here! Finally!**

**Disclaimer- Don't own Titanic**

**Enjoy!**

**.xoxo**

* * *

Annie lay awake for many hours that night. She couldn't sleep, and to be truly honest, she didn't want to. At first she believed it to be because of Tiber, but as the hours progressed and her mind got deeper into her thoughts, she realized that it had nothing to do with Tiber at all. Sure, he unnerved her, but it wasn't something that would keep her up during the night- she wasn't terrified of the man by any means. The true cause of her restlessness was much simpler than that. The Titanic had left an imprint on her that could never be erased. She knew that there would not be one day that passed that she wouldn't think of that night. Of the screams, of the icy waters, of Paolo's unconscious face…

Truth be told, she was grateful to God that Paolo and his brother had made it out of the water alive. It was extremely rare that it happened, most women had lost their husbands, boyfriends, fathers, and brothers. But yet, here she was- alive with her fiancé and his brother. It seemed almost unfair to everyone else that she had gotten so lucky.

But again, that wasn't what was bothering her.

What bothered her was how much things had changed in such a short period of time. Just a couple of days before she had been on the "unsinkable" ship traveling to America and later back to England as a second-class maid. Just a couple of days before she had been completely independently caring for herself. Just a couple of days before she was not engaged to be married. And not all of these things were bad by far, she really wanted to marry Paolo - as soon as they could afford it of course.

But now she was unemployed, her fiancé had almost died in her arms, and she was depending on both Mario and Paolo for protection and a roof. She wasn't used to it, and the only remedy for that would be time.

She hoped that she would get used to it all in time, this dreamer lifestyle of Paolo's was not exactly her forte. She had never really been spontaneous and unpredictable as him. Agreeing to marry him was probably the craziest thing she had ever done.

But it was the best kind of crazy, a decision that she knew, no matter what happened in the future, Annie would never regret.

She loved him that much.

At this thought, she was surprised to feel cold tears on her cheeks. With the back of her hand, she wiped them away, getting up from the bed and walking over to the window. She drew the curtains apart a bit, and sat on the window seat. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she recalled just how close she had come to being one of those women. She had almost lost him…

_My god Annie, you're acting like a ninny, _she mentally chided herself, shaking her head and exhaling as she cleaned her face.

_You didn't lose him. He's alive and well._

She fixed her eyes on the dimly lit street below. The street was empty, and there was a cat sitting atop some boxes in the alley. The night was dark, the moon just barely casting a light beam into her window.

_Mother, Father… I hope you like him. I hope you approve, _she closed her eyes tightly, conjuring the picture of her deceased parents into her head. Her mother with the small frame and golden brown hair, her dark eyes twinkling with laughter; Her father, tall and broad with dark hair, his blue eyes staring warmly down at his mother. They had been so much in love.

She wanted that growing up-to be that much in love. It seemed as if she had finally gotten her wish.

Her dream.

* * *

After Paolo entered the room he would share that night with his brother, he started to undress, taking the white shirt off and kicking off his shoes.

"_Allora"_ (so) Mario began, already ready for bed " _Quale l'problema di Annie?" _(What's wrong with Annie?)

"_Niente" _(Nothing) "_Non e importante_" (Its not important) Paolo said, folding his pants and putting atop the nightstand. He didn't really want to talk to Mario about Tiber. He really didn't want to talk at all. Its not that he could not trust his brother -that was not it at all… It just felt like something Annie would have wanted to keep between them only.

Mario chuckled softly.

"_Solo tra voi due?" (_Just between you two?) Paolo nodded, smiling briefly at his brother who shrugged and moved to turn the light off and climb into bed with him.

"_Sta bene_. ( Its ok)" he said, "_Caspisco. Rispetto tua vita privata_" ( I understand. I respect your privacy) Mario smiled a bit to himself in the dark, thinking to himself about how funny it was that his little brother, his _fratellino_, was going to get married before him. He drifted off to sleep quickly, his exhaustion over the past couple of sleepless nights wearing down on him.

Paolo stayed awake. He wasn't tired, but he could tell by his brother's light snoring that he was. He didn't want to disturb Mario, so he didn't get up from the bed. He let his mind wander, thinking about nothing and at the same time about everything. He knew Annie would be okay for the night, she knew how to take care of herself in case Tiber showed up or something.

But he still wished he was in bed with her, framing her body to his- keeping her warm and safe. Paolo couldn't wait to marry her, to be her husband, to start a family in America with her. He longed for the day that he could introduce her as his wife.

However, first things first, they had to find a job. He wasn't going to let Annie get married to him without a ring, without a ceremony. He thought briefly about his parents in Italy. He should write to them to let them know of his engagement. They'll be thrilled, and they'll want to meet her.

_It would be amazing to get married in Italy._

He thought of this not because he was fond of Europe -there was a reason he and Mario had boarded the Titanic after all. He though of this because he knew it would mean a lot to his parents and family back home if they could see him on his wedding day.

But, alas… Here they were in America, and they were going to start a new life. After he acquired a decent amount of money, he would marry her properly. Then, when they were financially stable, they could get on a ship to Europe and visit his family. But for now, he did not want to step foot in an ocean liner for a long, long time. Paolo could still feel the cold clasp of the brisk water on his legs, crawling up his torso, reaching into his lungs. He really had thought he had died that night. He thought he would never feel Annie's lips on his, her body against his -the cold water had numbed him. All that was going through his mind as he had floated atop a broken table was that he was freezing and Annie. How sorry he was for leaving her so soon. But he had been given a second chance, and he was going to make it count. By God, he'd have to. It was the least he could do for asking her to take a chance on him. He was going to give her the better life he had promised, one way or another.

* * *

Annie awoke to the brightness of the sun, her head leaning against the window pane, her legs curled under her on the cushioned window seat. She shook her head, waking her self up fully. Yawning and stretching her arms overhead, she made her way over to where her dress lay, folded on top of the small dresser. She fingered the fabric between her fingers, teeth gnawing thoughtfully against her cheek.

_Would this make a proper wedding gown? _she contemplated, her eyes scanning the light blue fabric. Brides often wore something blue at their wedding, why not the dress? They could get married this very day if they wanted to, and she very much did. Annie wanted to leave the whole Titanic ordeal behind and start a new life.

_Maybe after, I could study nursing? _She was not afraid of hard work, and she felt strangely optimistic about trying to make something of herself. If she was a good nurse, it would give her a far larger purpose than accommodating ladies during their voyages. She would actually be _helping_ people, making them get better and seeing their loved ones be grateful for it. She could hardly remember the last time a lady had said "thank you" for something other than the turning the bed for them.

It would be a nice change of scenery.

She quickly dressed, buttoning up the cloth buttons in the back with little difficulty. _Once you help women dress themselves for a living, it makes dressing yourself a thousand times easier, _she thought to herself with a silent giggle.

She took in her reflection in the small mirror above the washbasin, her fingers quickly combing through her hair and twisting it to fashion a bun. She rinsed her mouth with rosewater and applied some to her wrists. With quick fingers and a couple pins, she did her hair as she had done so every day for the past couple of years. A chignon was simple, classic and quick -three things that during her years with the White Star Line had been a characteristic in all her wardrobe. Maybe now that she would have more time, she'd dress her hair differently…

Just not today, there was much to do than lay around in the room toying with her hair. She rinsed her mouth with rosewater and applied some to her wrists. She shot a glance at herself in the mirror, and pictured herself in a very different attire.

Long pearl white sleeves covering her arms, a satin bodice which blossomed into a full skirt, draped over with detailing of embroidery and a long line of pearl buttons all down her back. A snow-white veil over her face, white slippers peering from the hem of her dress.

_Snap out of it, Annie… Its time to be realistic_, she thought, chiding herself for letting her thoughts stray. Glancing a the clock besides her bed, which read about a half-hour after seven in the morning, she collected her room key in a dress pocket, hoping that Mario and Paolo were already awake as she was.

* * *

Paolo awoke to the sound of the bed creaking with effort as Mario heaved himself up. Paolo groaned, already feeling the consequences of spending almost the entire night half-awake, lost in thoughts and trying to plan ahead. There was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep, so reluctantly, he got up from the bed, the iron groaning under him.

"_Buon giorno_" (Good Morning) Mario said to him, already half-dressed.

Paolo groaned in response, reaching for his pants.

"_Stati svegli tutta la notte, o che_?" (Were you awake all night, or what?) he chuckled, brushing his hands through his hair in the mirror.

Paolo shrugged, "_Non ho pot uto dormire_" (I couldn't sleep) He finished buttoning up his shirt and walked into the washbasin, where he washed his face and teeth.

Mario opened his mouth to say something, but a knock at the door interrupted his flow of thoughts. Paolo smiled, running expectantly to the door.

He opened it to find Annie, as he knew he would, looking slightly sleepy as she waited for him to open the door.

"_Buon Giorno, mia principessa_" (Good Morning, my princess) he kissed her fully on the mouth, his earlier drowsiness almost having dissipated into thin air.

Annie squirmed against his mouth, giggling and pushing him away at the same time. When he pulled away, she peered around him towards Mario."I am so sorry that you had to witness that, your brother is something of a scoundrel" she chided Paolo, her eyes mockingly narrowing as he pulled her to him by her waist.

Mario laughed heartily, throwing his hands into the air.

"_Lui e tuo problema ora" _(He's your problem now) "I clean my hands and him off to you, my impressionable little brother is a hard one to shake off"

Annie still playfully struggled against Paolo's caresses, finally giving up and letting him hold her.

"You're telling me" she said, to which both Paolo and Mario responded with laughter.

"_Colazione_?"(Breakfast?) Paolo asked, having let her go and watching her smooth out her dress.

Annie scoffed a bit playfully, and pushed him away with one hand as he reached out to grab her waist.

"I think you've had enough, don't you think?"

Paolo smiled earnestly at her.

"Of you? _Non e possible" _(Its not possible)

* * *

**Whew... Not my best chapter, but hopefully you guys liked some of it... I really needed to create a background for both of them in order to progress with my story.**

**Until next time (oh and leave a review!)**

**.xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5 Ti lo Meriti

**Hey here's chapter 5!**

**Enjoy :)  
**

**.xoxo**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Titanic or its characters.**

* * *

After a quick breakfast, the three of them walked back towards the front desk, not needing to go back up into their rooms to pack as they only had the clothes on their backs. Annie walked ahead of the pair of brothers, and while she waited to be checked out, they lingered out of her earshot.

"_E adesso_?" (And now?) Paolo whispered to Mario, keeping an eye on Annie.

"_Prima, cerchiamo lavoro, e poi cerchiamo un appartamento dove vivire_" (First, we look for work and then we'll look for an apartment to live in).

Paolo nodded in approval, his eyes never leaving his fiancé as she handed the money to the girl in the front desk.

"_Poi, possiamo ottenere due dopo tuo matrimonio." (_Later, we can get two after your marriage) Mario added, his eyes trained on his little brother.

Paolo snapped his gaze from Annie to him.

"_Che? No, no, no, no… Sei mio fratello, vivremo insieme - siamo famiglia_" (What? No, no, no, no… You're my brother, we'll live together- we're family) Paolo lowered his voice as Annie approached, a curious glint in her eye.

She sashayed her way over, a light smile spread across her lips as she placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you two conspiring about?"

Paolo smiled effortlessly back at her, cradling her around her waist as he came in from behind, his head atop hers but eyes connected to his brother's.

"_Niente" _(Nothing) "We have to get going on our job hunt" he said, his brother nodding in favor.

"Okay" Annie said, flipping around to face Paolo -giving him a slight push and proceeded to walk ahead of them, the two brothers walking closely behind her.

"Where should we start?" she asked, whipping her head back at them.

"I think we should head first to the heart of New York City" Mario volunteered, his eyes faraway.

Paolo contemplated about that for a bit.

"New York City? I was thinking we should stay in the area, my guess is that the apartments in the city will be more expensive"

"But I don't think there's hardly any work here" Annie interjected, "We should head to the Bronx, I heard there's a lot of job opportunities there"

Paolo and Mario both loudly disagreed with her, waving their hands around in front of them.

"_Assolutamente no_" (Absolutely not) "It is much too dangerous there. I really think we should stay in this area, near the coast. I'm sure I can get a job at the boating docks or something" Paolo said, flexing his jaw.

Annie wasn't sure.

"What do you think Mario?" she turned to him, and Mario shrugged.

"I don't know. We could stay here for a while, and then go to New York City later when we have the money"

Paolo looked at his brother.

"_Davvero pensi che dobbiamo andare a la citta?" _(Do you really think we should go to the city?) He stuffed his hands in his pockets, the brisk morning air seeping into his bones.

"_Onestamente? Si, penso che in la citta ha piu opportunita per lavore. E dove dobbiamo andare" _(Honestly? Yes, I think that in the city there are more job opportunities. Its where we should go)

"_Bene, andiamo_" (Well, then let's go) Paolo started off in the direction of the street, waving his hand at a cab.

"We really shouldn't be impulsive-" Annie started as a cab pulled to the curb, Paolo holding the door open for her.

Paolo gave her a quick kiss.

"Sometimes we don't have time to think. We just have to act" he helped her into the cab, sliding in after her. Mario got in last, closing the door.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked, his eyes scanning them suspiciously through the rearview mirror.

"New York City" Mario replied, rubbing his hands on his pants to warm them up.

The driver nodded, his eyes still going back and forth between them, especially between Paolo and Annie.

"We're newlyweds" Paolo lied, his tone effortlessly projecting the sort of joy newly-joined couples emanate.

The cab driver smiled stiffly, his silent question answered. Annie waited until they were on the road to whisper to Paolo.

"_Perche hai mentito a lui?" _(Why did you lie to him?) her eyes flitted back and forth across Paolo and Mario -who looked at her with a teasing smile.

"_Non ti ricordi della regole di decenza?" _( You don't remember the rules of propriety?)

Paolo caressed her hand.

"_Una donna sola in viaggo con due uomini stranieri?" _(one woman traveling alone with two foreign men?) He smiled sadly at her when she opened her eyes wide in shock.

"My God" she breathed " _Non posso credere che non -_" ( I can't believe that I didn't -)"_shhh…sta bene_" (shhh, its ok) Paolo squeezed her hand, his eyes trained on the cab driver whose attention had strayed from the road to them as they spoke a tongue that he could not understand.

"We're in America, eh? It would do you good to speak English" he said, his eyes holding a dark light.

Mario and Paolo met with their eyes. They had anticipated this to happen when they made the choice to move to America. They knew some people, even ones who had lived in the "Land of Immigrants" their entire lives, were going to be judgmental towards their roots. Annie had known as well, but unlike them, she wasn't going to put up with it. She'd seen enough of injustice on the Titanic to last a lifetime.

"Pardon?" Annie asked, her eyebrows raised. " I believe that's not the way you speak to a paying customer"

The driver, eyes back on the road, nodded curtly.

"My apologies, Madam" he said, in a plagiarizing manner.

_Let it go_, Paolo mouthed to Annie, whose eyebrows were knit together in shock. She sighed and shook her head, letting her gaze fall once again upon the roads they passed. After a while, streets blended with other streets, and all three of them started to lose their sense of direction. It was only when the cab began to cross the bridge into New York City that they knew once again where they were headed. The driver did not utter another word until he pulled over at the heart of town, near a four-way street crossing, where he effectively parked the cab on the edge of the lane.

"You have arrived. That will be $14.76" he announced nonchalantly.

Annie lost her breath, exhaling loudly in a long huff.

"Fourteen dollars! For a ten minute cab ride? That is absolutely ridiculous!" she exclaimed, looking over at Paolo who held an unreadable gaze in his dark eyes.

"We're not paying you fourteen dollars" He stated simply.

"Its fourteen dollars and seventy-six cents" the cab driver retorted smartly.

When Paolo spoke once again, it held a tone that could not be argued with -a slow , thick, drawl.

"We will pay you four dollars for the ride, and even that's too much. You can take it or leave it, men, but I won't let you take advantage of us. We might be Italian but we are not fools. We are in your same class, so what makes you better? The color of your skin? Your roots? We all come from the same place, its time you knew that."

With that, Paolo reached into his pocket, took out the money and placed it in the passenger seat of the cab. "_Andiamo_" (let's go) Mario said, tugging lightly on his brother's arm.

_His impressionable little brother._

Paolo got out of the cab, helping Annie out as soon as he could, still glaring back at the cab driver, who sat at the wheel in a state of shock.

_Probably not used to being spoken to like that. Bet he'll have a story to tell his wife tonight. _

Annie had wanted to intercede, God knows she wanted to. But when she heard Paolo speak in that way -so careful, precise - it let her know that he could handle it by himself, not that he had ever needed help defending himself or her.

It was a nice thought -to feel protected.

* * *

They walked the streets for a while, and eventually the sun rose up directly over their heads, signaling the time of noon. They had made it to the harbor of New York City, and they relished in the quiet calls of the seagulls, the occasional holler of a steam ship. The city had proved to be much too loud for their preference. Always shouting, yelling, beeping, obscenely alarming sounds - it didn't appeal to them. The harbor area, however, was very much what Annie had liked to live in when she was a young girl. She had been brought up along the countryside of Essex, and besides the hustle and bustle that took place on the White Star Line ships, she was no lover of noise. She preferred the soft humming of the wind to the cacophony of people talking at the same time. She liked to sit by her bed and read at night- and perhaps listen to a lively jive or two - and then settle into her bed; not having to listen to your next door neighbor's arguments and gossip all night long. She was a lover of privacy, something she would never receive in the city.

That isn't to say that the harbor was not busy - no quite the opposite. But the blend of noise in this part of town conjoined together in a most pleasantly harmonious way - mostly because it was all familiar noise. Whenever she waited to board a ship in order to work, she always stayed a couple days before around the area - preparing herself for the water mentally and for the upcoming seasickness that ailed many people as they boarded. The sounds of people walking through weren't annoying as they were in the center of New York City; they came just as quickly as they left and did not linger. Everyone had somewhere to be.

Annie glanced at the row of houses and apartments that peeked behind the shops lining the seaside. Up ahead a small pier extended into the ocean, the boardwalk underneath their feet leading them straight towards it.

"I like this place" she said, her hand intertwined with Paolo's.

Paolo leaned his head down while bringing their hands to his face and kissed her knuckles.

"Really? I was just thinking how much work there must be in this area" he said, his eyes signaling the amounts of stores, businesses and ship yards that surrounded them.

"Are you comfortable working by the sea, Paolo?" Mario asked quietly, his eyes scanning the waters.

Paolo directed his gaze to the marina, the waters gently lapping at the boats, the sea-salt infused air reaching into his core.

After a while, he nodded.

"It is not the water's fault that it sunk" he replied, his tone quiet and thoughtful. "As long as I'm able to see land, I'll be fine"

Mario looked at him straight into his eyes.

"Ok" He accepted, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'd rather you didn't work in the ships" Annie murmured, stopping her stride to pause at the wooden railing - eyes trained on the horizon.

Paolo walked over to her, Mario excusing himself with a nod - quietly whispering about checking out the availability of living quarters in the area.

He put his hands on either side of hers, framing her small body to his and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I can't always live in fear of what could've happened, Annie… I won't"

Annie fixed her gaze on the silver waters, the cloudy day reflecting of it.

"That's easy for you to say, you weren't the one holding someone special in your arms as they were dying"

" I didn't die, I'm still here" he whispered, his lips brushing against her cheek.

Annie shut her eyes, whipping around and walking away from him.

"But you almost did" she said as he walked over to her, catching her hand.

"I'll never leave you. _Ti amo_, ( I love you) more than life itself" He pulled her to him, crushing his lips against hers, not caring about the people that stared, or the looks that they gave them. It was her, in his arms, right now. Her lips molded with his, finding their own unique rhythm.

"I love you, so much" Annie murmured, her hands holding his face.

He walked them over to a bench, helping her to sit down and then sliding in next to her. He held her hands in his.

"I need to work hard. Ship-building is probably the best opportunity for me" he said as she turned her face, her throat making a disapproving grunt.

"I want to give you the best, and once we are financially stable I can marry you and you can go to nursing school-"

The revelation that he was not going to marry her anytime soon made her snap her head back towards him.

"You're not going to marry me anytime soon?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

Paolo swallowed, sensing the start of a very unpleasant talk.

"I can't. I love you, and I want to give you a ring and a wedd-"

"A ring? You think I care about a ring? If I cared about things like that I would have joined the throng of women waiting for their jewels on the Titanic!"

"Its not just about the ring, _Mio Dio _(My God), its about me keeping a promise to you and-"

"You promised to marry me" she snapped, her face confused.

"-And I will. But I want to do it right" he whispered, cupping her chin with his hand. " _Ti lo meriti" _(You deserve it)

Annie shook her head, exhaled a short laugh, and looked him square in the face.

"Please, don't be mad at me, I'm only trying to do my best" he pleaded, his eyes reflecting a boyish glint.

She shook her head again, smiling lightly.

"I'm not… But my word, you Italians are more traditional than I thought" she laughed a bit louder.

"I guess we'll just have to keep surprising you, eh?" he kissed her cheek, glad that their small disagreement was done with.

* * *

**Just a small couple disagreement, I thought I should add one. Not everything can be smooth sailing for them, but they can't stay mad at each other... That would be too cruel :3**

**Until the next time (please review!)**

**.xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6 Delizioso

**Hey so sorry for the really late update. New laptop and had to transfer all of my files + finals week + really tedious research paper of Shakespear's Julius Caesar = late update lol xD**

**Hope it was worth the wait, though this is kind of a slow chapter, but a bit fluffy, so hopefully you guys enjoy :)**

**.xoxo**

"I'm getting a bit hungry" Annie announced, breaking the comfortable silence that had surrounded her and Paolo for the last ten minutes. They were walking hand-in-hand across the harbor, staying in the open areas in case Mario was looking for them. She hoped that he had found a suitable place to live -for the moment anyway, they could always move once they were financially settled and the wedding had taken place.

Paolo stared out into the oceans deep in thought, and at her words, turned to face her.

"Well what would you like to eat?" He asked with a smile, pulling her by her hand so that she walked closer to him.

"Anything, really. I'm not choosy" she replied, eyes scanning the shops.

Paolo laughed and kissed her temple.

"That hungry, eh?"

"Maybe we should wait for Mario to find us. He must be famished"

Paolo shrugged, and walked her to a small sweet shop that had come up.

"Maybe, but we can always get you a little snack" he grinned at her, tugging her hand so that she would follow him inside.

"Paolo! We cannot afford-" she began, her words being cut when Paolo put a finger to her lips.

He leaned in close to her ear, his breath tickling her neck, and murmured quietly.

"Let me indulge you"

Annie smiled despite herself, her dimples accenting her flushed cheeks.

"Alright, but I'll only have a morsel" she agreed, the thought on wasting money away clear in the back of her mind still.

They walked inside, a sugary sweet scent enveloping them like a candy cloud, and instantly, just the sheer smell turned Annie into a child once again.

"Oh I haven't had one of these in forever!" she peered in through the display glass at the rows of chocolate covered cherries, which caused Paolo to chuckle a bit at her excitement.

A young woman appeared from a back room, a long mane of golden red hair spread about her face in soft waves. She smiled pleasantly as she approached, her jade green eyes lighting up with the arrival of customers. She wiped her hands of flour on her apron, stopping right behind the row of chocolates.

"Welcome to Little Waterford's Confectionery, how may I be of assistance?" Her Irish-accented words filled up the room as she looked expectantly at the young couple.

"One of those, please." Paolo pointed at the chocolates, the woman instantly retrieving a very small brown paper bag and opening it. She slid open the glass encasing and using a small metal grabber, placed the chocolate dollop carefully inside.

"And for you?" she looked up at him, her bright eyes gazing up at him expectantly.

He shook his head, his face holding a small grin.

"Nothing, thank you"

Her face fell a bit, but still retained its friendly persona.

"Nothing? Are you sure? We have quite a vast selection of candied almonds, peanuts, and pulled sugar.  
she motioned towards the colored strands of sugar, but Paolo shook his head once again.

"I am sure, thank you again."

Annie nudged him a bit, a little confused at his easy refusal of the delicious sweets. Paolo entangled his fingers through hers, giving her a sweet chaste kiss to the top of her head.

The young woman smiled to herself, looking away from them in order to give them some privacy. She closed the small paper bag and calculated the amount of money they owed her.

"That will be twenty-five cents" she announced, handing the paper bag to Annie, who thanked her as Paolo got a quarter out of his pockets and handed it to her.

"Have a nice day" Annie smiled at her, noticing for the first time exactly how young she was.

_She seems to be about my own age_, she thought smiling. _Maybe we__'__ll meet again._

"You two have one as well" she replied, her jade green eyes already fixing themselves at the back door of the confectionery.

Paolo and Annie walked out hand in hand, Annie's spare hand holding the bag. They walked for a bit, stopping in front of the boating docks. Her hand fingered the wooden railing, looking over at the men tying boats to the dock, sweeping the deck, and fixing masts.

"Are you certain you don't want a taste? We can split it." Annie pulled the chocolate out of the tiny bag, and held it up in the air.

But once again, Paolo shook his head.

"No, its ok. I'll have a taste after" he smiled at her, his fingers brushing softly against hers in the railing.

"Suit yourself" She shrugged, and popped the sweet concoction into her mouth, her eyes closing when she bit down on it.

This is so good. She thought. Its been years since I have even seen one.

Paolo amused himself by watching her devour the small chocolate slowly, savoring each and every miniscule bite. He was genuinely happy that she was enjoying herself. It seemed as if she ever rarely did.

"Good?" He asked, when she finished eating.

"Very good" she replied, a smile lingering on her lips.

Paolo chuckled, and inching a bit closer to her, wrapped an arm about her waist.

"Let me have a taste" he whispered in her ear, and when Annie turned to face him to ask why he hadn't asked earlier when she had offered to split, he brushed his lips gently against hers, once, twice… Positioning his hand against the nape of her neck, he deepened the kiss, tasting every inch of her mouth until he was satisfied and Annie was swooning.

He pulled away, and Annie let out a shuddering exhale. He touched her face with his fingers lovingly, his eyes bright.

"_Delizioso_"(Delicious) he whispered, and Annie pushed him away playfully.

"Cheeky. Shouldn't you be looking for work at the docks?" She looked up at him through her thick lashes, a smirk upon her lips.

"Yes…But I don't want to leave you here alone. We'll wait until Mario comes back" he said, looking out into the pier.

"Well it seems we won't have to wait much" Annie motioned to the tall Italian man cutting through the boardwalk and walking towards them. His face held the ghost of a smile, walking to where they were and finally coming to a stop directly in front of them.

"_Allora, ti hai trovati un luogo dove vivere?"_ (So, did you find a place to live?) Paolo asked, his face serious and having lost the playfulness it had seconds before.

Mario nodded, a satisfied smile returning to his lips.

"_E perfetta - Ha due camere da letto, e si trova cinque minuti della banchina_" (Its perfect - It has 2 bedrooms and is located about five minutes from the dock)

"Really?" Annie's interest peaked at his words. "Could we go see it?"  
"Anytime we want, we're renting it" he grinned heartily at her and she clasped her hands together and touched her chin.

"_Quanto costa?" (_How much?)Paolo asked, his words reminding Annie to not celebrate just yet.

"The man who owns them says that we get a free month of rent. After that, we'll manage the payments little brother" he said, ruffling Paolo's hair as he ducked out of reach.

"How'd you manage that?" Annie's incredulous tone rang out above their brotherly exchange.

At this, Mario stiffened a bit, and looked her square in the eyes. His jaw hardened, and he became sullen.

"I told them what happened" he whispered, and Paolo nodded.

"_Credo che almeno una cosa buona e venuta dal Titanic, dopo tutto_"(I guess at least one good thing came out of the Titanic, after all) he whispered, his gaze faraway.

"Only one thing? I'm a bit offended." Annie teased, her fingers running along his forearm reassuringly.

Paolo smiled at her, kissing her forehead.

"_Possiamo andare a vederla?"_ (Can we go see it?) his brown eyes gazed up at his brother, who held up a set of keys with a one-sided smirk upon his face.

"_Un passo avanti di ti, fratellino_" (One step ahead of you, little brother) Mario removed from his pocket a set of keys briefly dangling them in the air with one finger before placing them in Annie's hands.

"But," he raised a finger to stop them as they began to walk in the direction in which Mario came from "we have to find work at the docks before we go see it"  
"I could go ahead, while you too search." Annie volunteered, "I'd like to accommodate our living quarters accordingly –clean up and dust the place perhaps?" she smiled with her eyes, a light placid glaze over them.

Paolo looked unsurely at his older brother, who knew the concerns behind his little brother's silence at her words. They had only been here a couple of hours, they did not know yet exactly the area was. For now, Annie couldn't be left alone. As sexist as that might appeal, leaving a woman of Annie's age and beauty out in unknown streets was almost like leaving her stranded in an alley in Sicily -which definitely was not the safest place in Italy to be, all things considered.

"_Io vado con lei_" (I'll go with her) Mario reassured him, squeezing his shoulder "Don't worry. Go look for a boss in the docks that will hire us"

Annie frowned, forming a line between her brows.

"I don't need an escort" she stated, her voice holding an indignant tone.

Paolo sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

_Questa donna e piu testarda d'un mulo _(This woman is more stubborn than a mule) he thought to himself, a tired smile emerging on his lips.

Mario put his hand on her shoulder, a smile tugging at his lips.

"But you don't know where the house is, Miss Desmond"

"I'm sure that if you point me in the right direction, I'll be fine" she gathered her skirts and began to walk away from them.

Paolo looked at his brother and gestured towards Annie's departing frame.

"_Vai._" (Go) He said, shaking his head, amused at her determination of getting to the apartment without having a clue where it was.

Mario caught up with Annie, and handed her the keys.

"You know, you're going to have to start thinking of me more as family than an escort. 'Cause I'm not following you around everywhere you go, this is a once-only offer" he jested, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Mr. Sandrini, I'll have you know" she looked up at him with a playful glare " that I don't need any escorts at any time. I've taken pretty good care of myself for the past several years and I don't see why that would change now."

Mario chuckled.

"_Paolo definitivamente sai come cogierle_" (Paolo definitely knows how to pick them)

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**Like always, drop a review and let me know what you thought. Remember the young lady at the candy store, she'll be important later on (hint, hint ;] ) **

**.xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7 Lavore in la banchina

**Disclaimer- I do not own Titanic or its characters.**

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Annie and Mario fell into step as they walked through the cobbled paths. After a bit of resignation, Annie decided that perhaps an escort wasn't so bad—but just this once though. After she knew where the apartment was she wouldn't need his assistance. She was thankful however, that Mario felt it was his duty to walk her. She didn't know why, but it made her feel at ease, knowing that Paolo's brother was there if she needed him.

"How much farther?" She asked him, not seeing any housing in her immediate eye path.

"Not much, we just have to walk a little more" He responded, giving her a small smile.

"Alright then"  
They proceeded to walk in silence, but Annie wasn't sure if it was a comfortable silence or an awkward one. She realized she knew very little about Paolo's brother, even if they had spent some time together before on the Carpathia.

"So tell me Mr. Sandrini, have you got someone back home?" She looked up at him.

Mario smiled and shook his head.

"No, it's just been Paolo and I for a while."

"Oh, I don't believe that!" She laughed. "Not even an old flame?"

"Old flame? Ahh those are in Italy" Mario chuckled.

"Oh?" Annie prompted with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing for you to worry about" He patted her head affectionately. Annie swatted him away playfully.

"You'll spill some stories eventually" She smirked.

"That may be so" He led her to the left, into a small complex of apartments.

"Harbor Estates? Sounds fancy"

Mario smiled and shook his head. "I hate to disappoint you, but it's no luxury ocean liner quality. It's a bit more humble"

"Disappoint me? No. I've grown tired of luxury ocean liners" She smiled back.

The walked into the complex, going straight and walking across to a row of blue-grey one-floor apartments until they came to the one on the very edge, number 24. It had a dark silver roof, and the wooden door was painted a silver color. Though the paint on the door was a bit chipped, it gave it a more homelike appearance rather than a shabby one. Mario positioned the key inside the brass lock and turned it. He held the door open for Annie to walk through.

She walked into a cozy square kitchen; a wooden table that could seat four comfortably took up the vast majority of the space, along with its matching chairs. She fingered the sanded wood, her eyes affixed upon the empty flower vase on the middle of the table. Annie looked around the dark wooden counters and kitchen cabinets. There was a small rectangular window above the sink, curtained in a faded yellow gingham pattern. There was a small coal stove in the corner, and on the opposite side of the kitchen, there was a pantry closet. The whole room had an endearing quality about it all that made Annie feel very at home.

"It's lovely" Annie whispered, mainly to herself.

"It belonged to an elderly woman but, she passed away while visiting her daughter about a month ago—or so the landlord said. They were in the process of clearing the apartment out, but decided to leave it as is and rent it furnished." Mario told her, leaning against the door frame.

"Are the bedrooms through here?" she walked into a narrow horizontal hallway where she found three doors.

"Yeah, the first door is the biggest bedroom, the second is the bathroom, and the third is the smaller bedroom."

"I'll take this one" Annie headed towards the smaller bedroom before Mario came over and stopped her.

"No, no, no. Take the bigger one" He led her to the door on the far left.

"I cannot, you and your brother need more room!"

"That may be so, but it'll be a lot easier for Paolo to move into your room once you're married than for me to move out and you take my place. Plus, it'll be a heck of a lot less awkward." Mario chuckled.

"I suppose so." her cheeks flushed pink. "But it still doesn't make me feel any less guilty" She gave him a small smile in return.

"That, I cannot do anything about. So sorry" He shrugged and held the door open for her.

"My, are you and your brother going to keep treating me like a royalty?" She giggled.

"Don't get used to it" He winked.

The master bedroom was decent in size. The walls were covered in light beige wallpaper with red rosettes, and in the middle of the room against the far left wall was a queen sized wrought iron bed with a faded white bedspread. There were windows on either side of it, and another window looked out into the small yard. There was a door which she believed led to it. Other than that, the only other furniture in the room was a small bedside night stand, and a matching dresser.

"Miss Desmond, I'm going to leave the keys on the table for you. I have to meet Paolo. Keep the door locked. _Ciao!_ (bye!)" Mario waved at her, before running out into the concrete sidewalk.

Annie walked back to the door and turned the lock. _Even if they are both being overprotective of me right now, locking the door is the right thing to do I'm afraid._

She took a deep breath in and opened the pantry closet, looking to see if by any chance the landlord had left anything of use in there. She noticed there was no food, as she had expected, so she made a mental note to go grocery shopping in the market near the harbor after Paolo and Mario came back. This was all too weird for her—depending on them. It almost felt as if she were playing house, but in a surreal way. She pushed the thoughts out of her head as she grabbed a mop and bucket and began to clean their new home.

* * *

"Paolo!" Mario jogged up to his brother, who had decided to wait for him while he walked Annie to the apartments.

"Mario, _ho parlato con un uomo cinque minuti fa. Lui detto che in la banchina ha molto lavore in riparazione di navi." _(Mario, I talked to a man five minutes ago. He said that in the harbor there is a lot of jobs repairing ships)

"_Perfetto! Andiamo" _(Perfect! Let's go)

The two walked rapidly over to the other side of the small port town. They passed countless seaside stores and vendors until they got to a pure industrial section—filled with docked ships, warehouses and fishing boats. They edged their way along the working crowd lounging around, enjoying their lunch break.  
"Excuse me, do you know if anyone is hiring?" Paolo asked a nearby man.

The man gestured to a tall warehouse to their left.

"Mr. Goldstein is looking for men to build ships. Talk to him" The man had a slight cockney accent, and as soon as he finished talking, chomped down on his sandwich.

"_Andiamo"_ (Let's go). Mario pulled Paolo by the arm in the direction of the warehouse. They walked inside, looking for the boss's office.

"May I help you?" A man called out to them from his spot on the stairs. He had on tan slacks, his slightly protruding stomach covered by a white shirt and brown coat. He looked to be in his forties—a salt and pepper mustache adorning his face.

"We are looking for Mr. Goldstein." Mario stated.

"You're looking at him" The man said with a smile. "What can I help you two with?"

"My brother and I—we are looking for work"

"Ahhh, so you heard I needed men to repair ships?" at this both Mario and Paolo gave a single nod.

"Well, how about you two step into my office, and we can see what kind of job is best suited for you."

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**Hi guys! I know I haven't written in forever-got caught up with school and stuff, but hopefully now I'll have more time to write :) Chapter 8 coming soon!**

** .xoxo**


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